Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley, Steph Mullin and Avon Books for the ARC of this novel, set to release on March 3, 2022!!

This is a 2.5 rounded to a three star. My goodness….

When I say I predicted the ending from page 1, I wish I was being dramatic. I am so disappointed in how flat this ending fell. This is honestly the epitome of YA thriller books, you have an unreliable narrator, some extra details for ✨spice✨ and then the plot twist has been in front of you the whole time.

This felt easy, it felt like every little piece of information that kept being given to the reader was so blatantly obvious. There were a few plot holes too that just felt like the author threw them in for some extra drama, but with no intention on cleaning them up or explaining them. 🙃

That ending also, semi cliffhanger??? Not really??

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Margo returns home after 15 years to her hometown of Lake Moss. She left after the death of her mother and the disappearance of her friend Jessie. She returns home to look after her father after a knee operation.
At the same time, some kids are swimming in a private watering hole. When they discover body remains in a water cooler that sits at the bottom. They turn out to be the remains of Jessie. Who many locals just thought she has run away?
She meets her old classmate Austin who has come back to lake Moss who is a sound engineer for a documentary called Into the Air that investigate cold cases of murder and in the past has resulted in finding the perpetrators. Margo is and ex Court typist. So, Austin asks her to help her document any interviews that he partakes in. She agrees. But someone doesn’t want her to participate and sends her texts and emails to warn her of doing so or something bad will happen to her and her dad.
Thank you, Avon, for a copy of When she disappeared. I was looking forward to reading this after reading their previous novel. The family tree. I found this an intriguing story and I liked the aspect of them interviewing each of Margo’s old classmates an assuming they are all in the frame for Jessie murder. A different way of a whodunnit mystery. But I was disappointed with the ending as the rest of the story was good. 4 stars from me.

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Margo returns to her home town to look after her father after his knee operation. On the way into town she hears on the radio that the body of her childhood friend who went missing fifteen years ago has just been found.
There is lots of excitement and gossiping in the town about what they thought had happened.
A TV crew turn up to gather evidence to do a follow up on the case.
A found this story to be slow and predictable and I was disappointed in the ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books, HarperCollins for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A good thriller that is fast paced and keeps you guessing until the end. With good character development, we see all sorts of emotions when a film crew arrives that is intending to look at the circumstances of Jessie, a local who it was thought had upped and run away 15 years ago. Could there be more to this than meets the eye, or is this just muck raking with no good reason? Very well constructed and well worth a read. Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books, HarperCollins for the advanced read.

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OMG !! This is one hell of a terrific read it kept me gripped till the end and what an end it was it was astounding good.
So I have to say I had a sneaky suspicion throughout the book but although I was partially right I was a whole lot wrong also and it’s impossible to say more without spoiling the read for others. These two authors Steph Mullin and Nicole Mabry have formed a brilliant partnership and I loved their last book The Family Tree but I think this latest offering is even better.
I said the last book should come with a warning as I couldn’t put it down bit then this book need a double warning as not only is a compulsive read it’s a twisty, evil and extremely clever read that had me racing to the finish and ignoring everything else I was supposed to be doing, it’s such a well crafted book with some great characters, red herrings, superb writing and much much more I really can highly recommend it.
No rehash of the overview just pick the book up and dive in but as I say be warned this read will take over your life ! Many thanks to Steph and Nicole I’m looking forward to more from you and long may your partnership last.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Last year I read and loved The Family Tree by Steph Mullins and Nicole Mabry, so it was a no brainer that I would jump at the chance to read their second book. Once again, I was completely hooked from the start. Full of unlikeable and unreliable characters, this one will keep you reading into the night. Although I picked the ending this time, it did not take away from my enjoyment of this intense murder mystery. It is fast paced and told in the present day and also in diary entries from 15 years earlier. We learn about the town of Lake Moss, and those that live there throughout the story.

Our main character is Margo, who is returning to town to help look after her father who has recently had surgery. She does not have fond memories of the place, it was a living hell for her growing up. Her best friend Jessie Germaine, was the most popular girl at school and she went missing 15 years ago. As she is driving into town, she learns that her body has just been discovered and the case has been re-opened. A true crime documentary team have also arrived in town and Margo finds herself helping out. Who killed Jessie and why? Trust me, there are plenty of answers for both questions.

Thanks to Avon Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Steph Mullin, Nicole Mabry, and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

'When She Disappeared' is a thriller that had me hooked from the beginning. The descriptions of everything were so intense I felt like I was part of it. Everyone is a suspect, so it keeps you guessing throughout. The ending is a major plot twist too. I recommend!

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Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK, Avon for the copy of this book. I liked the story, and the opening scene was masterful! The rest of the book was pretty good, but not great for me. I’m not sure why I didn’t love it, but maybe it was because it felt like some incidents were just thrown in for no reason. It was also tiring to hear about what makeup Margo put on and other details like that.
The characters were well-written and I liked how the book showed how many people didn’t move on from High School and what happened there. I did think Austin went too far in his ‘pre-interviews’ and he kept asking questions that would have been better in the real interview, but he was obviously trying to solve the case himself.
I look forward to more books by these authors because I’m sure I will love the next book more. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

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Wow what an exciting read ,a real roller coaster of a ride .The story is fast paced ,gripping ,full of suspense and mystery. I really enjoyed this book ,the characters were good and the ending was such a surprise ,I really didn't see it coming .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my free copy in return for an honest review .

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WHEN SHE DISAPPEARED is a twisty mysterious follow-up to these authors' first book, THE FAMILY TREE. Margo, the main character, returns home to help her father who needs to have knee surgery--and also to face the ghosts of her past. When the body of her best friend is uncovered, she must team up with a local guy to figure out what happened. There's a big twist at the end I guarantee you won't see coming!

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Margo returns to her hometown after a messy failed marriage. The same timeframe that she arrives back home, a body is found in a swimming hole that is the high school hangout. It turns out that the body was Margo’s “best friend” from high school (15-years ago), that disappeared without a trace. As Margo is back in town, she assists a film crew who are investigating the murder and she begins to be the subject of threats. It’s a whirlwind of a mystery and leads down multiple paths and reveals lots of secrets!

Wow, this was a great who-dun-it mystery that you will not see the final twist coming! I thought for sure I figured out the mystery of the murderer several times thoroughly the books and I was completely wrong! This was a well-paced suspenseful read. If you liked Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10, you will enjoy this suspenseful mystery!

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, publisher and the author, in turn for my honest review.

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This book flowed well. I never felt like it was taking too long to read, which is a common complaint I have with books. However, what took me out of it sometimes was the dialogue. Lots of the dialogue felt fake to me. I also found a few spelling errors and many places that I felt could use commas. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the ending.

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4.5 stars. Did not see that ending coming which is exactly what I enjoy. I’ve recently discovered I love books that involve a podcast or show diving into a mystery and this did not disappoint. Will be adding it to my list of weirdly specific book recommendations. And for once the romance didn’t distract me from the overall plot or take me out of the story. Will continue to pick up from this author

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Margo returns to her hometown of Lake Moss to look after her father. She's not keen to return to the bad memories there, having tragically lost her mum, then coped with the disappearance of her best friend, Jessie, back in 2004.
As she arrives back in Lake Moss, a body is found in a local swimming hole that turns out to be Jessie's.
Margo hooks up with her High School crush, Austin, who is working with a film crew who are investigating Jessie's disappearance. She gets involved in the investigation, which in turn brings danger to her door.
This book starts with a shock and ends with a neat twist. I found the majority of the book quite wordy however, and it did drag in places.

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Wow, just wow! Steph and Nicole have done it again! This book was brilliant. It had a great suspensive atmosphere, that flowed well throughout the book. The character development was spot on and as I read through the chapters it would have me second guessing my theories behind who the killer was. It ends on a cliff hanger that has you thinking wait, what? As it’s so abrupt but where others found that frustrating, I found it amusing. I was so invested in the book by then, I thought it was a great way to end it, leaving that uncertainty pending.

I found as the book progressed along with the main character develops and we get to know her more, I became very invested in her journey and absolutely rooted for her to figure out who the killer was. The twist that came from it was fab, although once I got closer to the end and stories and events started lining up more clearly, I more or less had guessed who it was, but it still didn’t take away the twist to the story line.

Another fab story from this writing duo! I now can’t wait until their next book comes out to play. Thanks Ladies, for this amazing literary escape, now go grab yourself a copy and get lost in the pages of this suspenseful, whodunnit of a thriller!

** I received an advanced copy of this ebook to read and review. Thank you NetGalley, the authors and the publisher for allowing me this opportunity **

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When She Disappeared is another creepy, eerie and mysterious thriller that brings back the “true crime” vibe to the table.

Margo returns back to her hometown to take care of her father. She left this town after two incidents that shocked her life; the disappearance of her best friend and the loss of her mother. Her return to the town after years coincided with the discovery of Jessie’s dead body. Bringing back the secrets of the past and the unanswered questions, Margo tries to solve the mystery behind and find the culprit.

This book is a well-written one. Although the plot line is the usual form of suspense found in a mystery thriller, the book keeps the reader on toes. But what falls short is the final reveal which doesn’t come as a surprise. It might be just me who reads too much of books with the similar plot lines but I could easily see the red flags from the start.

Yet another mystery to keep you hooked to the book, this might just be the perfect book for a true crime or thriller lover.

All thanks goes to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange of an honest review.

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Lake Moss has everything that I normally love in a read - an unsolved mystery (check!), an unreliable narrator (check!), suspects coming together after 15 years (check!) and an insider trying to figure out whodunit once and for all (check, check, check!).

Unfortunately, the elements did not all come together and the book felt flat, and a bit off, for me.

When Margo returns to her small-town roots to take care of her post-surgery father following her divorce, she's not looking for drama. Of course, since she's our main character, it finds her right away. The body of Margo's childhood best friend, Jessie, has been found in the lake. Jessie was beautiful, popular - and mean. What happened to her 15 years ago, and who is going to pay for it now?

There were plenty of clues and I figured out the mystery early on - which is never fun. But beyond that, the motivations of some of the characters do not jive with how they are portrayed on the page. Perhaps more scenes from the past would have flushed this out a bit.

Overall, most everyone in Lake Moss is pretty miserable even with the mean girl gone, which shows Jessie left a lasting impression. When She Disappeared does not do the same in a sea of similar works.

Thank you Netgalley for the preview!

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Like the author's first novel this was an easy read and a compelling page turner. Despite enjoying it I didn't find it to be a very accomplished novel with predictable plotting and repetitive narrative. However I enjoyed the small town setting and the fast pace of this crime thriller.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

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loved this thriller!
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an earc of When she Disappeared, in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, Steph Mullin, and Nicole Mabry for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of When She Disappeared in exchange for my honest review.

Jessie Germaine went missing on the night of May 26, 2004 after cheering at the end of year pep rally. Fifteen years later, her childhood best friend, Margo, is returning home to care for her father after surgery when she hears the breaking news: Jessie's body has been found. Margo is shaken not only by the discovery, but by her hometown after all these years. She teams up with a former classmate who is working on an investigative documentary to try to find Jessie's killer after all these years.

What worked for me:
-The ultimate whodunnit (I love when I don't predict correctly)
-A host of mysterious and untrustworthy characters to point a finger at.
-The true crime feel.

What didn't work for me:
-The pacing of the story (I felt this book could have been quite a bit shorter).
-The repetitiveness of the plot. Interview subject, something eerie happens to Margo, she wrestles with what to do... lather, rinse, repeat.
-I felt there was a big giveaway for one of the major plot points pretty early in the book.
-The ending. It felt very abrupt compared to how drawn out the rest of the book felt.

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